Year 5 standard elaborations Australian Curriculum: Science

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Year 5 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: Science

Purpose

The standard elaborations (SEs) provide additional clarity when using the Australian Curriculum achievement standard to make judgments on a five-point scale. They can be used as a tool for:

 making consistent and comparable judgments about the evidence of learning in a folio of student work

 developing task-specific standards for individual assessment tasks.

Structure

The SEs are developed using the Australian Curriculum achievement standard. The achievement standard for Science describes the learning expected of students at each year level. Teachers use the achievement standard during and at the end of a period of teaching to make on-balance judgments about the quality of learning students demonstrate.

In Queensland the achievement standard represents the C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills. The SEs are presented in a matrix. The discernible differences or degrees of quality associated with the five-point scale are highlighted to identify the characteristics of student work on which teacher judgments are made. Terms are described in the Notes section following the matrix.

Year 5 Australian Curriculum: Science achievement standard

By the end of Year 5, students classify substances according to their observable properties and behaviours. They explain everyday phenomena associated with the transfer of light. They describe the key features of our solar system. They analyse how the form of living things enables them to function in their environments.

Students discuss how scientific developments have affected people’s lives, help us solve problems and how science knowledge develops from many people’s contributions.

Students follow instructions to pose questions for investigation and predict the effect of changing variables when planning an investigation. They use equipment in ways that are safe and improve the accuracy of their observations. Students construct tables and graphs to organise data and identify patterns in the data. They

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Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), Australian Curriculum Version 8 Science for Foundation–10, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-10

Year 5 Science standard elaborations

A B C D E

The folio of student work has the following characteristics:

Science understanding Chemicalsciences

reasoned classification of substances according to their observable properties and behaviours

informed classification of substances according to their observable properties and behaviours

classification of substances according to their

observable properties and behaviours

 partial classification of substances

 observations about the properties of substances

statements about the properties of substances

Physicalsciences

reasoned explanation of everyday phenomena associated with the transfer of light

informed explanation of everyday phenomena associated with the transfer of light

explanation of everyday phenomena associated with the transfer of light

description of everyday phenomena associated with the transfer of light

statements about light

Earth and spacesciences

thorough description of the key features of our solar system

informed description of the key features of our solar system

description of the key features of our solar system

identification of the key features of our solar system

statements about the solar system

ical

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A B C D E The folio of student work has the following characteristics:

Science as a human endeavour Use and influence of science

reasoned discussion of how scientific

developments:

 have affected people’s lives

 help solve problems

informed discussion of how scientific developments:

discussion of how scientific developments:

 description of how scientific developments:

statements about the scientific developments

Nature and development of science

reasoned discussion of how science knowledge develops from many people’s contributions

informed discussion of how science knowledge develops from many people’s contributions

discussion of how science knowledge develops from many people’s

contributions

identification of contributions made to science knowledge

statements about science knowledge

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The folio of student work has the following characteristics:

Science inquiry skills Questioning andpredicting

following instructions to pose questions for investigation and making reasoned predictions about the effect of changing variables

following instructions to pose questions for investigation and making plausible predictions about the effect of changing variables

following instructions to pose questions for investigation and predict the effect of changing variables

guided posing of questions related to the investigation and guided making of predictions

directed posing of questions and directed making of predictions

Planning andconducting

 planning of fair tests that manage the implications of potential risks

 systematic use of equipment in ways that are safe and improve the accuracy and reliability of observations

 planning investigations that:

take into consideration elements of fair testing describe implications of potential safety risks

 use of equipment in ways that are safe and improve the accuracy and reliability of observations

 planning investigations

 use of equipment in ways that are safe and improve the accuracy of

observations

 partial planning of investigations

 safe use of equipment

statements about investigation methods

safe use of equipment

Processing and analysingation

 following of conventions to construct tables and graphs to systematically organise data

 explanation of patterns in the data

 comparison of patterns in their data with predictions when suggesting reasoned explanations

 following of conventions to construct tables and graphs to organise data

 description of patterns in the data

 comparison of patterns in their data with predictions when suggesting informed explanations

 construction of tables and graphs to organise data

 identification of patterns in data

 comparison of patterns in their data with predictions when suggesting explanations

 partial construction of tables and graphs to organise data

 guided identification of patterns in the data

 comparison of patterns in their data with predictions

use of provided tables to organise data

statements about patterns in their data

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A B C D E The folio of student work has the following characteristics:

Science inquiryskills Evaluating thorough description of effective ways to improve the fairness of

investigations

informed description of effective ways to improve the fairness of

investigations

description of ways to improve the fairness of investigations

identification of ways to improve the fairness of investigations

statements about

improvements to methods

Communicating coherent communication of ideas and findings using relevant scientific

terminology and multimodal texts

communication of ideas and findings using relevant scientific terminology and multimodal texts

communication of ideas and findings using multimodal texts

communication of ideas and findings using everyday language

fragmented communication of ideas and findings

Ke

y shading emphasises the qualities that discriminate between the A–E descriptors

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Australian Curriculum common dimensions

The SEs describe the qualities of achievement in the two dimensions common to all Australian Curriculum learning area achievement standards:

 understanding

 skills.

Dimension Description

understanding the concepts underpinning and connecting knowledge in a learning area, related to a student’s ability to appropriately select and apply knowledge to solve problems in that learning area

skills the specific techniques, strategies and processes in a learning area

Terms used in Year 5 Science SEs

These terms clarify the descriptors in the Year 5 Science SEs. They help to clarify the descriptors and should be used in conjunction with the ACARA Australian Curriculum Science glossary:

www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/glossary.

Term Description

analysis;

analyse consider in detail for the purpose of finding meaning or relationships, and identifying patterns, similarities and differences in order to explain and interpret it

classification;

classify arrange into named categories in order to sort, group or identify coherent rational; well-structured and makes sense

communicating (sub-strand)

conveying information or ideas to others through appropriate representations, text types and modes

comparison;

compare

estimate, measure or note how things are similar or dissimilar

conventions (tables and graphs)

agreed methods of representing concepts, information and behaviours;

in the context of constructing tables and graphs in science, the following conventions apply:

tables — any table used in an investigation should include:

 the independent variable goes in the left hand column, the dependent variables in the column/s to the right

 column headings that have all the information needed to define the table's meaning and should identify units (if applicable)

 a title that summarises what the table is showing

graphs — any graph used to report findings should include:

 labelling the dependent variable on the horizontal (x) axis and the independent on the vertical (y) axis, accompanied by the units of measurement

 an appropriate scale in ascending amounts with equal intervals (if applicable)

 a title that summarises what the graph is showing description;

descriptive;

describe

give an account of characteristics or features

direction;

directed

following the instructions of the facilitator

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Term Description discussion;

discuss

talk or write about a topic, taking into account different issues and ideas

effectively;

effective

meeting the assigned purpose; in a way that produces a desired or intended result

evaluating (sub-strand)

examining and judging the merit or significance of something;

considering the quality of available evidence and the merit or significance of a claim, proposition or conclusion with reference to that evidence;

in Year 5, evaluating includes reflecting on and suggesting improvements to scientific investigations

explanation;

explanatory;

explain

provide additional information that demonstrates understanding of reasoning and/or application

fair test an investigation where one variable (the independent variable) is changed and all other conditions (controlled variables) are kept the same; what is measured or observed is referred to as the dependent variable

fragmented disjointed, incomplete or isolated

guided visual and/or verbal prompts to facilitate or support independent action identification;

identify

establish or indicate who or what someone or something is

informed having relevant knowledge; being conversant with the topic;

in the context of Science, informed means referring to scientific background knowledge and/or empirical observations

partial incomplete, half-done, unfinished planning and

conducting (sub-strand)

making decisions regarding how to investigate or solve a problem and carrying out an investigation, including the collection of data;

in Year 5, this includes:

 identifying, planning and applying the elements of scientific investigations

 deciding variables to be changed and measured

 identifying potential risks

 accurately observing, measuring and recording data

 using equipment and materials safely plausibility;

plausible

credible and possible;

in the context of Science, a plausible prediction is based on scientific knowledge

processing and analysing data and information (sub-strand)

representing data in meaningful and useful ways; identifying trends, patterns and relationships in data, and using this evidence to justify conclusions;

 constructing and using a range of representations to represent observations

 describing observations, patterns or relationships in data

 comparing data with predictions

 developing explanations questioning and

predicting (sub-strand)

identifying and constructing questions, proposing hypotheses and suggesting possible outcomes

 posing clarifying questions

 making predictions about scientific investigations

Year 5 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum:

Science

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questions (that can be investigated scientifically)

a question that is connected to scientific concepts and methods and is able to be investigated through the systematic observation and interpretation of data;

there are three types of investigable questions:

1.descriptive questions: produce a qualitative or quantitative description of an object, material, organism or event

2.relational questions: identify associations between the characteristics of different phenomena

3.cause–effect questions: determine whether one or more variables cause or affect one or more outcome variables

Sharkawy, A 2010, ‘A Quest to Improve: Helping students learn how to pose investigable questions’, Science and Children, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 32–35

reasons;

reasoned

logical and sound; presented with justification;

in the context of Science, reasoned also means that the evidence is provided through reference to scientific background knowledge and/or empirical observations as part of the justification

relevant having some logical connection with; applicable and pertinent reliability;

reliable

constant and dependable or consistent and repeatable;

in Science, in the context of collecting data from:

 first-hand investigations, reliability refers to the consistency of the data collected, i.e. a consistent pattern of results is established through repetition

 secondary sources, reliability refers to information and data from secondary sources that is consistent with information and data from a number of reputable sources;

Note: reliability and validity are terms that can easily be confused by students;

in the context of collecting data from:

 first-hand investigations, validity refers to whether the measurements collected are caused by the phenomena being tested, i.e. if the procedure is testing the hypothesis

 secondary sources, validity refers to the degree to which evidence supports the assertion or claim being evaluated;

McCloughan, G 2001, ‘Reliability and validity — what do they mean?’, Curriculum Support for Teaching in Science in 7–12, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 14–15

science knowledge science knowledge refers to facts, concepts, principles, laws, theories and models that have been established by scientists over time;

in the context of Years 3 to 6, students develop their understanding of a range of systems operating at different time and geographic scales

science understanding

science understanding is evident when a person selects and integrates appropriate science knowledge to explain and predict phenomena, and applies that knowledge to new situations

statement;

state

a sentence or assertion

systematic methodical, organised and logical

thorough demonstrating depth and breadth, inclusive of relevant detail